


Up in the Stars

by NachoDiablo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Beach Holidays, Ferris Wheels, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25039018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: Sam meets a cute lifeguard on his family vacation.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Comments: 27
Kudos: 78
Collections: SamSteve Vacation Week, Steve's Birthday Party (PotsCast)





	Up in the Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cinni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinni/gifts).



> Check out this [gorgeous art](https://twitter.com/itscinni/status/1278803540488716289?s=20) from Cinni <3 <3 <3 thank you for being the best collab partner!!!

“Sam, look at this one!” Sarah bounded over and held out her hand. Resting in her palm was a miniature conch shell, mostly intact, in shades of aqua and tangerine. “It’s only got a little piece broken off!”

“Very cool,” Sam agreed. “Pretty colors, too.”

She grinned and placed it carefully in her pail, then ran back ahead next to her friend Mindy. They walked slowly, eyes trained on the ground so that no shell or pebble went unexamined.

Sam hadn’t been overly excited about spending the summer at the shore. He could take or leave the beach. But it wasn’t like there'd been much to do at home. All of his friends were busy with work or internships. And Sarah had been over the moon at the prospect of a beach vacation, having heard stories every year from her best friend. Her excitement had been contagious.

Walking along the water, sun shining with a cool breeze against his face, Sam had no complaints. And it was the last summer before he went off to college; he didn’t mind spending it with his family.

A shriek from Sarah had Sam rushing to her side. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Sarah looked up at him with tearful eyes and a trembling lower lip. She stuck out her right index finger; blood had beaded up from a gash along the middle joint.

“Was there a sharp shell?” Sam asked as he examined the cut. It didn’t look deep, but he didn’t have anything to clean it off.

“Yeah,” Sarah sniffed. “I’m okay though, it doesn’t hurt. We don’t need to go back to the house.”

Sam tried not to grin at her stubborn expression. At ten years old, Sarah and Mindy had been thrilled to be allowed to go to the beach with Sam rather than with parents. Sam knew they’d be reluctant to go back to the house for help on their first day of grown-up freedom. He glanced around and noticed the lifeguard stand a few yards up the beach. “Why don’t we check and see if the lifeguards have a band aid, okay?”

“I’ll carry your pail,” Mindy added magnanimously. 

The three of them walked to the foot of the lifeguard stand, where two people sat perched at the top. A redheaded girl and a blond boy, both in standard red bathing suits and white tank tops, looked down at them from behind sunglasses.

“Hi there!” the blond boy said cheerfully. “What can we do for you?”

“We have an injury,” Sam replied. “You got any band aids, maybe some first aid cream or something?”

The redhead elbowed the boy. “That sounds like a job for you, Rogers.”

“No problem,” the boy replied. He reached behind his seat to grab a red zippered bag, then slid off the lifeguard stand gracefully into the sand. He pushed his sunglasses into his hair, revealing startling blue eyes.

“Hi there,” the boy said as he crouched down in front of Sarah and unzipped the first aid bag. “I’m Steve, what’s your name?”

“Sarah,” she sniffled. She held out her finger and allowed Steve to clean off the cut.

“Nice to meet you, Sarah. And who are your friends?” 

“This is my best friend Mindy,” Sarah said, “and that’s my big brother Sam.”

Steve looked up at Sam and smiled quickly before turning back to Sarah’s injury. “You guys here for the summer?”

“Yeah,” Mindy said with a nod. “My family comes every year, but this is the first time Sarah’s is here.”

“I hope you’re enjoying the shore,” Steve said. He smiled at Mindy, but his eyes quickly darted up to Sam before he ducked his head and reached back into the bag. 

“We are,” Sarah chirped. Her voice was steadier now, tears long forgotten. “Sam lets us walk all the way to the last jetty. But we don’t walk on it,” she added hastily. “I know that’s not allowed.”

Steve looked to be biting back a smile as he schooled his features into a serious expression. “That’s good to hear. It’s important to be safe and always follow the rules.”

The smirk playing at the corners of Steve’s mouth had Sam doubting very much that he took his own advice. 

Steve pulled a standard bandage from the first aid bag. “Sorry. We’ve only got the boring plain Band Aids here. No fun colors or anything.”

“That’s okay,” Sarah said graciously. “We have cool ones back at the house. This one will work ‘til we get back.”

Mindy nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve still got two more jetties to pass. I wonder how long it would take to walk the whole beach?”

“It’s about two miles from the northern entrance to the last jetty,” Steve answered. “I run it both ways every morning.”

“You run?” Sarah looked over her shoulder at Sam. “My brother runs too, at home. On the track in the park.”

“On a track, huh?” Steve looked up at Sam with a smirk. “I guess you could call that running.”

Sam laughed and shook his head. “You guess, huh? What else would you call it?”

“Compared to beach running? Not much of a workout, that’s for sure.”

Sam couldn’t really argue with that. Running on sand was intense. And the teasing note in Steve’s voice assured Sam that it was meant in jest.

Besides, Steve looked pretty cute when he smiled. Dorky, yeah, but cute.

“Alright, you’re all set.” Steve had fastened the bandage securely around Sarah’s finger. He got up from the sand, first aid kit in hand. 

“Thank you,” Sarah and Mindy chimed together.

“Yeah, thanks,” Sam said. “I appreciate it.”

“Any time.” Steve looked up at Sam through his lashes. “Hopefully I’ll see you guys around.”

Sam didn’t have time to reply; Sarah and Mindy had already started to run down the beach. As he walked away, he turned to wave over his shoulder. Steve, still watching, waved back.

~

“Can I get three scoops?” Sarah asked as they walked through the pier.

Sam gave her a skeptical look. “You couldn’t eat three scoops even if you had them.”

“But I can’t decide which flavor I want!”

“We’ll see what the options are when we get to the counter,” Sam replied.

They’d just left their parents in line at the Tilt-A-Whirl. Sarah had wanted a snack, so Sam had offered to take her while his parents enjoyed some alone time. They weaved through the rides and kiosks in search of the ice cream.

Sarah tugged on Sam’s hand and pointed to the snack counter. “Look, it’s Steve!” 

She ran ahead, waving at Steve, who stood behind the counter in a collared shirt that was a size too small. Steve waved back to Sarah; when his eyes met Sam’s they lit up.

“Hey!” Steve said. “Nice to see you guys again. Sarah, how’s your finger doing?”

“Much better.” She held it up. “It’s got a glow in the dark band aid on it now.”

“No wonder it feels better,” Steve said. He looked over at Sam and smiled. “How’re you doing tonight?”

Sam wasn’t sure if he was imagining the flirty tone, but he was definitely not imagining the light blush on Steve’s cheeks. “I’m alright,” he replied with a smile of his own. “Didn’t realize you worked here, too.”

“I don’t,” Steve admitted, then hastily added, “I mean, I don’t usually. Tonight I do. I covered for a friend at the last minute.” He tugged at the hem of his shirt. Sam supposed that explained why it looked too small.

Sarah tugged at Sam’s hand. “I can’t decide which flavor,” she complained. “I’m gonna have to get three scoops.” 

“No,” Sam said firmly. “Mom and dad are gonna freak if you show up with three scoops. You get one.”

“But it’s _vacation.”_

“What about a compromise?” Steve interjected. “I can squeeze three flavors into one scoop.”

Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Of course.” Steve said.

“On a cone?”

“Sure. Which flavors?” 

Sarah leaned in close to review her choices with a pensive stare. Steve grinned at Sam over the counter. It was easy for Sam to grin back.

“I would like…” She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before continuing. “Chocolate, cotton candy, and mango sorbet.”

Sam wrinkled his nose at the combination, but Steve nodded in approval. 

“Excellent choices. You want sprinkles?”

“No,” Sam answered for her. “Three flavors is enough.”

Sarah looked at him and nodded in agreement, without fuss. Steve grabbed a clean ice cream scoop and a sugar cone and got to work.

“Are you here with Mindy? Or other friends?” The question was directed to Sarah, though Steve’s eyes remained fixed on Sam.

“No,” Sarah replied. “We’re here with our parents.”

Sam hadn’t assumed Steve was the type to eye roll at a family night out, but he was still relieved when Steve smiled brighter.

“That’s cool,” he said. “You guys gonna go on the pirate ship? That’s my mom’s favorite. It’s always our first and last ride of the night.”

Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Do you get to go on the rides every night? Since you live here year round, right?”

“I do,” Steve chuckled, “but the rides are only open during the summer. And my mom works a lot, so we only get to come a couple of times every year.”

“That’s still cool though.” Sarah’s eyes widened as Steve carefully balanced the third and final flavor on the cone. “Wow! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” Steve reached over the counter to hand the cone to Sarah, then looked at Sam expectantly. “What‘ll you have?”

“Oh, um…” Sam peered at the list of flavors. “What’s good?”

“Everything,” Steve chuckled. “It’s ice cream.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a smile. “Alright, then. Surprise me.”

“Only if you don’t peek.”

Sam dutifully kept his eyes averted as Steve surveyed the ice cream options. “How’s your cone?” he asked Sarah.

“Delicious!” she replied. Sam wrinkled his nose as she licked her ice cream. All three flavors had run together into an unappetizing mess. He hoped Steve had better taste than a ten year old.

“So,” Steve said as he grabbed a fresh sugar cone. “You guys in town for the week?”

Sarah was too focused on her quickly melting ice cream to reply, so Sam answered. “Nah, we’re here for the summer.”

“That’s cool,” Steve said. “You still in school, or did you graduate?”

“Yeah, I graduated,” Sam confirmed. “I start at UPenn in the fall. Engineering.”

“Wow, congrats,” Steve said, sounding sincere. “I graduated, too. No college for me, though.”

“Oh.” Sam paused, unsure of how to reply. That wasn’t necessarily good or bad news. Evidently Steve picked up on his hesitation, because he chuckled and continued.

“My friend’s got a landscaping company that he’s trying to expand. We’re lining up winter maintenance jobs, then next spring things’ll take off. Hopefully.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah, we’ll see.” Steve dropped the ice cream scoop into the sink. He held out a cone to Sam, filled with pale pink ice cream, studded with swirls of red. 

“Here you go. Strawberry cheesecake ice cream. It’s my favorite.”

Sam accepted the cone and took a bite. It was light and airy, despite its richness, with just the right level of sweetness.

“Good choice?” Steve asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Excellent choice.” Sam took another bite. “It’s my favorite now, too.”

“Can I try?” interrupted Sarah. Her face had a rainbow of mismatched flavors smeared across it, but Sam graciously offered up his cone without complaint. She tasted it, then made a thoughtful face.

“It’s not as good as mine,” she said. “But it’s okay.”

“Thanks,” Sam said dryly. He turned back to Steve. “Could we get some extra napkins?”

“Of course.” Steve grabbed a handful and handed them over. Sam leaned down to clean off Sarah’s face in between bites. He straightened up and noticed the clock hanging in the back of the ice cream stand. 

“Time to go,” he told Sarah as he took hold of her free hand. “Mom and Dad will be looking for us.”

“‘Kay. Bye, Steve!” Sarah waved her half-nibbled ice cream cone in farewell.

Steve waved back. “See you soon, I hope.” 

His eyes met Sam’s with a hopeful expression. Sam grinned and waved his cone as Sarah had. “I hope so, too.”

~

Sam sighed as he scrolled through his phone. Nine o’clock on a Friday night and nothing to do. They’d done pizza and a movie as a family, but now Sarah was being put to bed by their dad, and their mom was settling in with her Kindle.

“Are you going out tonight?” She asked without looking up from her reading.

“Go where?” Sam asked.

“Out. Meet some friends. All the kids hang out at the boardwalk at night. You should go out, see what’s happening.”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “How do you know where the kids hang out?”

“Because _I_ have friends. I know what’s up.”

Sam laughed and stood up. He tucked his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, and stretched his arms over his head. “Alright then, if you insist. I’m out.”

He kissed her forehead and called a goodbye up the stairs to Sarah and their dad. It was warm out, sticky and humid. Sam wondered what to expect as he walked down the quiet streets towards the boardwalk. He didn’t have any trouble talking to people, but this was a smaller town. They seemed used to tourists, but you never knew.

As his mother had predicted, the boardwalk was jammed with teens and college kids. The crowd was surprisingly diverse, and Sam felt himself relax a little as he walked along the edge of the crowd. Most people were dressed casually, shorts and tank tops, even with the chill from the ocean. But some groups looked ready to hit the club, teetering by in platform sandals and shimmering tops. A few girls threw appreciative glances Sam’s way, but no one hassled him.

“Hey! Sam!”

Sam turned to his left. Steve sat on the railing in front of the beach, waving at him. A dark haired white boy leaned against the railing next to him, wrapped in a black hoodie and a guarded expression. The redheaded lifeguard was perched on Steve’s other side in an off-the-shoulder shirt and cutoffs, sipping a fountain soda through a straw and seemingly unfazed by anything around her.

“Hey.” Sam walked over and returned Steve’s wave. He winced as he noticed that Steve was sporting a freshly blackened eye. “Uh, you alright?”

Steve grinned. “Never been better. You?”

The brunet rolled his eyes from beneath his hoodie, and Sam laughed. “I’m good,” he replied. “Just wanted to get out of the house.”

“Good call,” the redhead mused. “Get some fresh air, maybe hookup under the boardwalk.”

Sam wrinkled his nose. “Huh?”

Steve nudged his shoulder against the redhead while the brunet shook his head. The redhead raised an eyebrow. “That’s why everyone hangs out here at night,” she said with a sly grin. “Find someone you like, drag ‘em under the boardwalk for some fun.”

The brunet’s amused smirk assured Sam that he was partly being messed with, but Steve’s blush had him wondering how much was true. Regardless, the boardwalk itself was nasty. Sam didn’t want to find out how dirty the beach was underneath.

“I saw a kid puke up blue slushie on the boards today,” Sam replied dryly. “I don’t wanna think about what else drips through the cracks.”

“Disgusting,” the brunet muttered. He moved forward and stuck out his right hand. “I’m Bucky, by the way.”

Sam accepted the hand and shook it. “I’m Sam.”

“Figured as much. Stevie almost fell backwards screaming it when he was trying to get your attention.”

Bucky kept a straight face while the redhead let out a snort of laughter next to him. Steve scowled and punched her lightly on the shoulder as his blush crept steadily towards his ears.

“Ouch!” she exclaimed. “Bucky said it, not me!” She hopped off the railing and smiled at Sam, a real one this time. “I’m Nat. Nice to see you again.” 

She marched towards the trash can and dropped her empty cup in as she checked her phone. “Let’s get moving. Okoye says they’re coming up the fifth street ramp.”

Bucky trailed after her, pointing out someone they both waved to. Steve slid off the banister and walked over towards Sam. “You, uh, wanna come with? We’re meeting some friends.”

“Sure, as long as it’s above ground.”

“Yeah,” Steve assured him hastily. “And we don’t… I mean, people _do_ that, but I don’t.”

Sam was tempted to tease Steve a little more, but he looked so earnest that Sam let it slide. “Good to know,” he replied instead. 

Steve beamed and moved closer to Sam. Their arms brushed against each other as they hurried to catch up with Nat and Bucky, who had stopped to get samples of fudge from a candy store. The woman holding the sample tray was a few years older than them. She laughed and shook her head as Steve selected a peanut butter slice from the tray.

“You need to stop punching tourists, sweetie,” she told Steve as she gestured towards his black eye. “Or at least not the ones who punch back.”

“I’ll punch any transphobe,” Steve retorted. “Shoobie or local, doesn’t matter.”

“And I appreciate it,” Nat said, “but some of us can punch them without getting punched back. You might wanna try it.”

Grinning, Steve grabbed another piece of fudge before they continued walking. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Sounds fun to me,” Sam said.

Steve nudged his elbow against Sam’s arm. “I knew you’d think so.” 

Bucky muttered something under his breath that made Nat crack up, but Sam didn’t care. They could laugh all they wanted, as long as Steve kept smiling at him like that.

~

_Are you free for dinner tonight?_

Sam squinted at the text, as though he could decipher Steve’s intentions if he only looked hard enough. Clearly, of course, it was an invite to dinner. But was it a friendly dinner? Was it just the two of them, or was it a group thing? Was it, as Sam hoped, a date? 

He rolled over on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It had been a whirlwind of a week. Sam had gotten along well with their friends. He’d found out that Nat was also planning to attend UPenn in the fall. She was familiar with the Philadelphia gayborhood, and they’d made plans to do an evening trip in August to check out some of the clubs for under twenty one night.

Sam had seen Steve every day. Sarah and Mindy made sure to swing by Steve and Nat’s lifeguard stand each time they went to the beach, and Steve always seemed happy to see them. He’d invited Sam to hang out on other friend group outings; mini golf, pick-up basketball, and an epic night of video games that ended with Sam beating the Mario Kart high score that M’Baku had held since the middle of Junior year.

His phone buzzed again. Sam held his phone up over his face to read the new text.

_Dinner would be just the two of us. Like a date thing. If that’s something you’re into. I can pick you up at 7?_

Shocked, Sam let the phone slip from his fingers. He let out a shriek of pain as it smacked him in the nose. Rolling back onto his stomach, he re-read the text again. Of _course_ Steve had come right out and said it. He wasn’t what anyone would call smooth.

Smiling, Sam texted back, _Yeah I’m into that. See you at 7._

At five to seven that evening, a knock sounded against the front door. Sam didn’t bother to try and answer it; Sarah dashed into the foyer faster than if she’d had wings on her heels.

“Hi, Steve!” Sarah exclaimed as she flung the door open.

“Hey,” Steve greeted her with a wave. “I love your nails.”

“Thank you.” Sarah held her hand out for Steve to get a better look. She and Mindy had acquired nail art kits from one of the shops on the boardwalk, and now Sarah’s fingertips boasted sunset hues and carefully stenciled seahorses.

“You look nice,” she added. Rather generously, in Sam’s opinion, seeing as Steve wore cargo shorts, a short sleeved button-down, flip flops, and a half-healed black eye. Still, the way he ducked his head and thanked Sarah for the compliment was awfully cute, as was the way his grin went all goofy when he met Sam’s gaze.

“I got you something,” Sarah said. She reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a slipper shell, pale pink and perfectly intact. “It’s for good luck. In case you need to do any rescues on the job.”

“I appreciate it,” Steve said solemnly as he accepted the gift. “Thank you.” He unbuttoned the side pocket on his cargo shorts, set the shell inside, then rebuttoned. Sam’s heart melted a little at the careful motions. 

Sam tried to usher Steve out the door, but he insisted on first saying hello to Sam’s parents, who were sitting on the back patio. Sam noticed his dad’s eyebrow arch when he saw Steve’s face, but Sam wasn’t too worried. Steve wasn’t the first boy with a black eye that he’d brought home.

“Your folks are nice,” Steve commented as they walked towards the boardwalk. “It’s cool that they’re able to spend the whole summer with you guys down here.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “We’ve never done a vacation this long together. And never to the beach. Wasn’t sure what to expect, honestly.”

“But you’re having a good time?” Steve’s fingers brushed against Sam’s, and he was quick to grab Steve’s hand and lace their fingers together. 

“Yeah,” Sam replied. “I am.”

Steve didn’t stop smiling the whole way to the pizza place. He paid for their slices and sodas, and insisted on carrying everything to the bench overlooking the ocean where they settled in to eat. Sam was wary of seagulls, having seen them attack plenty of tourists without hesitation or mercy. But Steve upheld his vow to keep their slices safe so they could enjoy the evening breeze, rather than cramming into the limited counter space.

They kept talking long after their food was gone. Sam had inched closer to Steve on the bench, and had managed not to smirk when Steve not-so-casually rested his arm on the bench behind his shoulders. The sun had just started to creep below the horizon when Steve tapped his fingers against Sam’s shoulder.

“Did you want to go to the arcade? There’s some great classics. PacMan, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter.”

“You call those classics?” Sam scoffed. “Take me to Skee-Ball, I’ll show you some skills.”

Steve grinned. “Sure, if you wanna get your ass kicked in Skee-Ball, we can do that.”

“You wish!”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Steve stood up and held out a hand, which Sam accepted. Steve pulled him up and led him to the fifth street pier, which had the best rides and games, as every single one of the locals had mentioned to Sam over the past week, though he hadn’t asked.

Steve did kick Sam’s ass at Skee-Ball, but only by a slim margin. Steve was gracious about it, too. He did his fair share of shit talking, but he was always genuine in his compliments when Sam scored. And he didn’t mind at all when Sam absolutely owned him at whack-a-mole.

They went on a few rides, too; the double shot, gravitron, and roller coaster-- the biggest one, with two loop-de-loops. Steve looked a little green after the second roller coaster ride, so Sam took pity on him.

“Maybe we should go on a slower ride,” he teased. “The carousel? Hmmm, might be too much. What about the fire trucks?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “How about the ferris wheel?” He nodded towards the largest ride in the park. Bright lights lined the spokes as the wheel of compartments rotated up into the stars, then back down again.

“Sounds good,” Sam agreed. Steve reached out a hand, then hesitated. Sam moved so Steve’s hand could rest on his waist. Sam pretended not to hear the happy sigh that escaped from Steve’s lips as he pulled Sam closer. He was too busy keeping his own smile from bursting off his face.

By some miracle, the line wasn’t too long. They spent ten minutes scrolling through Sam’s phone together, laughing at cute cat gifs and funny tweets. Steve’s hand didn’t move from Sam’s waist, and Sam let his head rest against Steve’s shoulder. Despite some first date jitters, it was easy, being with Steve. Comfortable, like they’d known each other for years rather than a week.

Steve let Sam step into the compartment first, then slid in on his left. The bored attendant lowered their safety bar and stepped back to start the ride. The compartment jolted as it rose up, lifting them into the night sky.

Sam took in the view; lights from the seaside buildings glinted in the moonlight against the water’s edge, where black waves rolled onto the shore. The brightness from the pier below shone on Steve’s face as he turned to rest an arm around Sam’s shoulders, more confidently this time.

“Thanks for coming out with me,” Steve murmured.

“Thanks for asking.” Sam scooted a little closer to Steve as the ferris wheel slowed to a stop. Their compartment sat at the very top of the ride, swaying ever so slightly as the salty breeze ruffled Steve’s hair into even more of an adorable mess. 

Steve’s eyes flickered down to Sam’s lips, then back to his eyes. His fingers dug into Sam’s shoulder as he raised an eyebrow. Sam tilted his head upwards and leaned in a little. Steve’s eyes went wide, then fluttered closed as his lips met Sam’s in a kiss, hesitant at first, then more insistent. 

The ride started up again, startling them apart. Steve giggled and rested his forehead against Sam’s, sneaking in another kiss before they got too close to the ground. As Steve helped him out of the compartment, his face glowed with happiness that made Sam feel as though he were still up amongst the stars. 

~

Sam scowled down at the paper plate balanced precariously in his lap. He’d accidentally grabbed salt and vinegar chips instead of plain, and they’d contaminated his potato salad. Not that he had much of an appetite, but still. 

He looked around the backyard. T’Challa’s parents’ backyard had a private entry to the beach, with high fences allowing some privacy from the neighbors. Every counter in the kitchen was filled with chafing dishes and serving bowls. The sliding glass door was continuously opening to let people in and out of the air conditioning.

Most of the friends Sam had made over the past month were milling around the backyard. Sarah sat in the patio shade with Nakia and Okoye, happy to be included in the older girls’ chatting. Bucky was inside playing video games with M’Baku; they’d invited Sam to join, but he’d declined. Steve, T’Challa, and Nat were laughing at a video playing on Nat’s phone.

Everyone was having a good time. Except for Sam, who was miserable. 

Steve’s gaze drifted over to him every so often, along with that dorky smile. Which only made Sam even more miserable. He and Steve had been hanging out for about a month. They went out to eat, and to the pier to play video games. They held hands and shared kisses. They went night swimming on the beach, with Steve’s arms wound around Sam’s waist to keep him close. 

It was everything a summer romance should be. But Sam wanted more than just a summer romance with Steve. And he wasn’t going to get it. In three weeks, Sam’s family would head home so he could pack for school. Steve would stay here and work on the landscaping business with Bucky. They’d both move on to the next phase of their lives. Separately.

Then again, Philadelphia wasn’t _that_ far away. And Nat would be at UPenn, too. Sam could hitch rides to the shore when she visited, and Steve could come up to the city in the winter when his work slowed down. Not to mention texting and FaceTime. Surely it would be easy for them to keep in touch, if they wanted to be together. 

But Steve hadn’t mentioned anything, so neither had Sam. 

Sam wondered if Steve felt the same way he did, or if this was nothing new to him. Maybe he spent every summer with a new boy, listening to music and talking for hours on the roof outside his bedroom window. Maybe every summer, some shoobie fell under Steve’s spell and got lavished with his attention, only to be forgotten once fall rolled around.

“Hey.” Steve sat down on the picnic table bench, on Sam’s left. “You wanna play volleyball? T’challa and Okoye are picking teams.”

“No,” Sam said, poking sullenly at his potato salad.

Steve shrugged. “‘Kay, we can just watch. And heckle.”

“You don’t have to sit with me,” Sam griped. “Go play, if that’s what you want.”

“I _want_ to be with you.”

“Yeah, sure.” Sam stood up and set his plate on the table. “I’m gonna go.”

“Go where?”

“I don’t _know.”_

“Can I come?” Steve rested a tentative hand on Sam’s waist. “Or do you need some alone time?”

Sam groaned inwardly at Steve’s puppy dog eyes. Steve was a good guy; he didn’t deserve Sam’s ire. “Sure, you can come. Wanna walk on the beach?”

“Sure.” Steve looked over at Nat and nodded. The two of them conversed in a series of facial expressions that Sam couldn't follow. Then, Steve took Sam’s hand and led him out the private entrance towards the beach.

They walked along the surf, toes pressing into the wet sand as the water lapped at their ankles, then drained away. Neither of them spoke as they wandered further from the house. Once they were out of earshot from their friends, Steve gave Sam’s hand a tug.

“You gonna tell me what’s bothering you?”

Sam kept his eyes fixed on the sand in front of him. “It’s nothing, just… I’ll be leaving in a few weeks.”

“Oh.” Steve sounded resigned.

When he didn’t say anything else, Sam continued. “I’ll be headed to school, and you’ll be here. And, uh, it’s just...”

“So you wanna break up.”

“Huh?” Sam stopped walking and gave Steve an incredulous stare. 

Steve smiled sadly. “It’s ok, Sam. You’re gonna go back to your regular life. You’ll move on and you don’t wanna get too attached right now. So you wanna break up before things go any further. I know how it is.”

“Oh, really?” Sam said. “That’s how it is?”

Steve’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t it?”

“How can we break up when we’re not even dating?”

“We’re not?” Steve’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, and his cheeks flushed. “Oh shit, I thought…” He tried to pull his hand away, but Sam clutched it tighter.

“I’m not saying I don’t want to! But we never made it official!”

“I asked you out!”

“Yeah,” Sam conceded, “but that doesn’t-- what does that mean?”

“It means I want to be your boyfriend.” Steve’s jaw had a stubborn set as he took a step closer. “If only for the rest of the summer, fine. But you’re amazing, Sam. I know there’s a lot to figure out, as far as where our lives are gonna take us. But I want to be by your side the whole time. If you’ll have me.”

Steve raised their joined hands and pressed the back of Sam’s palm to his lips. Sam rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he allowed himself to be pulled into Steve’s arms.

“You’re corny, you know that?” Sam asked as their feet sunk deeper into the sand. He kissed the tip of Steve’s nose, causing him to blush.

“Is that a yes? To the boyfriend question?” Steve flashed his best puppy dog eyes again, like Sam wasn’t already gone on his goofy ass.

“Yeah,” Sam replied with a smile. “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

Steve kissed him again, and they headed back to the house, hand in hand as the sun set. Sam wasn’t sure what the future held, but he was absolutely certain that no matter where he ended up, Steve would be on his left.


End file.
